Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings September 26, 2015

Transcription

1 Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings September 26, 2015 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY Jack Beckley becomes the first Reds player to hit three home runs in a game. All were off St. Louis Willie Sudhoff. Reds rise up late vs. Mets, but damage done By Anthony DiComo and Andy Call / MLB.com MLB.COM CINCINNATI -- For the first time in nine years, the Mets will play beyond their 162nd game. They assured themselves that much Friday with a 12-5 thumping of the Reds at Great American Ball Park, fueled by Noah Syndergaard's 7 2/3 dominant innings and Lucas Duda's twin three-run homers. Combined with Washington's loss to the Phillies, the Mets' win ensured at least a tie atop the National League East, priming them to clinch the title outright as soon as Saturday. "A really good win tonight," was how Syndergaard described it. "Our magic number is one now. We've got our horse tomorrow, [Matt] Harvey, on the mound. I have a pretty good feeling after that we're going to be celebrating." Topping out at 99 mph, Syndergaard struck out 11 and retired 16 in a row from the third through eighth innings, before Brennan Boesch spoiled his shutout bid with a two-out homer, his first with the Reds. By that point, the Mets held a sizable lead thanks to Duda's three-run shots off Anthony DeSclafani in the third inning and Tony Cingrani in the seventh. Curtis Granderson added his own three-run shot off J.J. Hoover in the eighth. It was not until that inning that the Reds enjoyed some bright moments, including Joey Votto's RBI single that extended his careerhigh on-base streak to 42 games. Six consecutive Reds rapped out hits off Syndergaard, Eric O'Flaherty and Bobby Parnell in that inning, and Adam Duvall added a solo shot off Tim Stauffer in the ninth. The Mets hardly seemed to notice, whooping and hollering in a vibrant postgame clubhouse. Not long after New York's game finished, the Dodgers lost in Colorado to lift the Mets within a half-game of home-field advantage in the NL Division Series. "It's a very exciting time," Duda said. "I'm blessed to be a part of this. Hopefully we can handle our business the next couple days and see where we're at." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED On point: In addition to matching the second-highest strikeout total of his career, Syndergaard kept his pitch count low enough to last into the eighth, even finishing 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI single. Despite a fastball that sat comfortably at 98 mph all night, Syndergaard mixed up his pitches throughout the outing, relying increasingly on his secondary offerings in the later innings. His final line would have been cleaner had O'Flaherty not allowed his only inherited runner to score. Disco inferno: DeSclafani got off to a rough start, giving up hits to seven of the first 14 New York batters. After serving up Duda's first three-run homer, however, DeSclafani held the next 13 hitless. He struck out the side in the fourth, including Granderson to end the inning, and got Michael Conforto to ground into a double play to end the sixth. "I was definitely grinding out there," DeSclafani said. "I was glad to make it into the seventh inning." Duda smashing: Known for his torrid hot streaks and icy cold ones, Duda is currently enjoying one of the former. After ripping his first three-run homer in the third inning, the Mets first baseman upped his RBI count to six with a thunderous seventh-inning blast that Statcast projected to land 434 feet from home. Still streaking: Votto's eighth-inning hit off O'Flaherty set a career high in consecutive games reaching base safely. Votto had also reached in 41 games in Pete Rose reached in 48 consecutive games in 1978.

2 "He's still playing with a lot of energy," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "He's busting his tail." QUOTABLE "Never did I think when I picked up a baseball when I was 7 years old that I'd be here at 23, pitching for the New York Mets in a postseason race. It's an unbelievable feeling, and I'm extremely blessed to be here." Syndergaard FROM THE TRAINER'S ROOM Juan Uribe made only a cameo in this one, leaving after aggravating a chest injury during his pinch-hit appearance in the eighth. Uribe missed time last week due to muscle discomfort in his chest. UPON FURTHER REVIEW With Granderson on second base and one out in the seventh, DeSclafani fired a pitch to the backstop. Granderson attempted to advance to third, but home-plate umpire Angel Hernandez ruled it a foul ball off David Wright's bat. The call stood following a twominute, six-second replay review, forcing Granderson to stay at second -- at least until Daniel Murphy drove him home with an RBI single. WHAT'S NEXT Mets: Harvey will take the mound Saturday in Cincinnati at 4:10 p.m. ET with a chance to clinch the Mets' first NL East title since The Mets have said that they will limit Harvey again in what should be his penultimate start of the season, but they haven't divulged the particulars. Reds: Rookie left-hander John Lamb will start in the third game of the four-game series. Lamb has allowed three runs in 15 innings over his last three starts. Votto sets career high with on-base streak Reds first baseman extends run to 42 games with RBI single in 8th, chasing Rose's 48 By Andy Call / MLB.com CINCINNATI -- Joey Votto continued his pursuit of one of Pete Rose's franchise records Friday night when he reached base for the 42nd consecutive game during the Reds' 12-5 loss to the Mets at Great American Ball Park. Votto was hitless in his first three at-bats before an eighth-inning RBI single off New York left-hander Eric O'Flaherty. That hit extended Votto's streak, which surpassed his previous career high of 41 in He also drew a walk in the ninth inning. Rose reached in 48 consecutive games in Matt Holliday of St. Louis reached in 45 consecutive games to begin this season, still the longest streak in the Majors. "He produces in a prodigious way," Reds manager Bryan Price said of Votto. "He has been terrific. He's having a great year. He's still playing with a lot of energy. He's busting his tail." Votto came into Friday trailing only Washington's Bryce Harper for the National League lead in on-base percentage. Votto is attempting to lead the league in that category for the fifth time in six years. The veteran first baseman's concentration has not faltered even as the Reds have plunged into last place in the NL Central. "I know he's been under a lot of scrutiny over the last few years of his career, " Price said. "If someone is going to look for criticism, I hope they wouldn't come by my office." Votto is batting.315 with 29 home runs and 139 walks. If he reaches 30 homers and 150 walks while still batting.300, Votto would join Barry Bonds, Ted Williams and Babe Ruth as the only players to hit all three of those milestones in the same season. Lorenzen eager to explore bullpen mindset Reds to use righty as reliever, emergency starter in effort to control his innings count By Andy Call / MLB.com CINCINNATI -- Michael Lorenzen is a starting pitcher, one who could be a member of the Reds' rotation for years to come.

3 "The sky is the limit for that guy," catcher Tucker Barnhart said. What Lorenzen is still trying to determine at the end of his first Major League season is whether he thinks like a starter. "I'm still trying to figure out who I am," Lorenzen said Friday, a day after having worked a scoreless inning during the Reds' 6-4 loss to the New York Mets, his third relief appearance of the season. "It is a different mindset. Some people say relief pitchers need a more aggressive mindset. But if you look at [Clayton] Kershaw and [Max] Scherzer, they're pretty fiery." The Reds have been trying to control Lorenzen's innings count, which sits at 152 2/3 between Cincinnati and Triple-A Louisville. Manager Bryan Price said he would like to give Lorenzen enough work out of the bullpen to keep him sharp for an emergency start. "He's pitched plenty this year," Price said. "But, realistically, if anything happens to any of our five starters, he's the guy who, most likely, would be the one to make one of those starts." The Reds are currently working with an all-rookie rotation of Anthony DeSclafani, John Lamb, Keyvius Sampson, Josh Smith and Brandon Finnegan. The 12-man bullpen includes Lorenzen, who has made 21 starts and three relief appearances -- two in May, the other Thursday. Lorenzen said he is intrigued to see how his sampling of life in a big league bullpen might benefit him in the future. "Mentally, there is a difference," said Lorenzen, who was ranked as the team's No. 3 prospect by MLB.com in "If I do get another start, it would be interesting to see if I can do what I did [Thursday]. I believe I can." The 23-year-old right-hander is 4-9 with a 5.50 ERA for the Reds. His ERA through July 9 was 3.53, which Barnhart said is a more accurate indicator of his ability. "I caught him a couple times in Double-A, and I have seen him really mature and learn a lot of things," Barnhart said. "He's incredibly gifted. But at times, even he will admit, he gets a little mechanical. Getting out of his own way is important for him. If he can do that, he could have a very impressive career." Mets go for East clincher with Harvey on hill By Andy Call / MLB.com The time has finally come for the Mets to pop the cork -- perhaps as soon as Saturday night. A New York win at Cincinnati, or a Washington loss to Philadelphia, will give the Mets their first National League East title since The Mets reduced their magic number to one with a 12-5 victory Friday over the Reds. Matt Harvey (12-7, 2.80 ERA) will try to finish off the division race vs. a Reds team he has fared well against. The 26-year-old right-hander is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in three career starts against Cincinnati, and he allowed just one run over 7 2/3 innings Aug. 16, 2012, in his only career start at Great American Ball Park. The Mets have been cautious with Harvey's workload. He is coming off a start in which he shut out the Yankees for five innings but took a no-decision when the bullpen faltered. New York manager Terry Collins would not reveal what the plan is for Harvey on Saturday. "I don't have any idea what he's going to do," Collins said. "We have a plan, but things change. I'm not going to talk about what we're going to expect, or how we're going to work him, until the game starts because things are different. If he goes farther, you're going say, 'What happened?' If he goes less, 'What happened?' So, until [Saturday], we'll see what he does." Harvey has allowed one run or fewer in more than half of his first 63 career games and his 2.13 ERA since June 16 ranks behind only Jake Arrieta, Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw among pitchers with 70-plus innings in that span. Cincinnati will counter with rookie left-hander John Lamb (1-3, 4.60 ERA). Lamb has begun to settle in to the Reds' rotation after some early speed bumps, allowing three runs in 15 innings over his last three starts. Rookies will have started 56 consecutive games for the Reds, and 102 overall, when Lamb takes the mound. The Mets are facing four rookie starters in a four-game series for the first time in franchise history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Three things to know for this game The Mets will go for a club-record 10th consecutive road victory. They won nine in a row away from home in June 2006.

4 Skip Schumaker is the only active Reds player with more than 10 at-bats against Harvey. Schumaker is 2-for-11 (.182) with a double. Brandon Phillips is 3-for-9 (.333) with two doubles. Jay Bruce needs three home runs to pass Ken Griffey Jr. (210) for seventh place on Cincinnati's all-time list. CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Mets' 12-5 win extends Reds' losing skid By C. Trent Rosecrans / Cincinnati Enquirer / crosecrans@enquirer.com Joey Votto was one strike from his streak of 41 games reaching base ending, but he wasn't thinking about that. No, he was simply thinking about getting a positive result, no matter the fact that the game was already out of hand and his team was down After failing to reach base in any of his first three plate appearances against Mets starter Noah Syndergaard, Votto's seemingly last chance to extend his streak to a new career-high of 42 consecutive games with a hit, walk or hit by pitch came in the eighth inning with two outs and left-hander Eric O'Flaherty on the mound. While few hitters are more successful down 0-2 than Votto (who entered the game with a.327 on-base percentage after falling behind 0-2), he brushed off the assertion that he wasn't bothered by an 0-2 count. "Oh yeah, it bothers the (heck) out of me," Votto said, following the Reds' 12-5 loss to the Mets. "It means I probably took a pitch I shouldn't have and I fouled off a ball I probably shouldn't have. But in that instance, he's a tough guy that I have to relax against and he's got a really tough sinking fastball. It's so cliche, but you just try to put a good swing on a good pitch. There's not much more to it than that." Of course with Votto, the most analytical hitter in the game, there's always much more than that. With two strikes, it's obvious that Votto chokes up on his bat more, but he said that's just the most obvious change, not the most important. "You have to be aware of every quadrant of the strike zone, right?" Votto said. "The up-and-in pitch, the down-and-away pitch, those are two totally different swings. I can't take my 'A' swing and expect to hit both of those on a consistent basis. I've got to be able to react to both, I have to be ready for so many different possibilities. The only way I can do that is if I have a swing I can be short with, quick with, and can possibly make contact with an array of balls. That's the reason I choke up, and it's not so much that I choke up, everyone talks about that. It's more intent, more that my swing is completely different with two strikes." Votto took the next two pitches from O'Flaherty low to make it 2-2 (he entered the game with a.470 on-base percentage after getting to 2-2 this year). Votto then lined O'Flaherty's fifth offering (a 91 mph sinker) into center field, scoring Jason Bourgeois from second, cutting the Mets' lead to an even 10 runs. It was Votto's 47th hit in those 42 games, to go with 52 walks (including one in the ninth) and one hit-by-pitch. It's an amazing stretch by an individual player, even if the team has gone in those 42 games. It was the 33rd time in those 42 games that Votto has reached base more than once. "Whether we're winning or we're losing, my No. 1 responsibility, no matter what, is to do my job," Votto said before Friday's game. "I don't know what else to say other than that, to do my job as well as I can to satisfy my employer and to be able to look in the mirror with pride." The last time Votto failed to reach base in a game in which he appeared was on Aug. 10 in San Diego, when he struck out three times in a 2-1 loss to the Padres in a game started by Ian Kennedy. "It's certainly been a good run in terms of getting on base since the All-Star break, but I don't have an explanation for it other than I've been very happy with the way I've taken my at-bats and the direction of my swing," Votto said. It looked dicey for much of the game, as Syndergaard dominated the Reds for 7 2/3 innings. Until Brennan Boesch's two-out home run in the eighth, Syndergaard had retired 16 consecutive batters, starting with a strikeout of Votto in the third. After Boesch's homer, Bourgeois singled, ending Syndergaard's night. It was Bourgeois' third hit off of the Mets' starter of five total allowed. Syndergaard would strike out 11.

5 The Mets' starter got Votto to line out in the first, strike out looking (with perhaps some help from home plate umpire Angel Hernandez) in the third and ground out in the sixth. Syndergaard also knocked in a run with two hits of his own, singling in the second after Michael Conforto's double, for the team's first run off of Reds starter Anthony DeSclafani. The next inning, Lucas Duda would hit his first of two three-run home runs on the night, while center fielder Curtis Granderson would add a three-run homer of his own in the eighth. Granderson's home run came off of Reds reliever J.J. Hoover, who has had a nightmarish September, seeing his ERA rise from 1.74 to 2.94 with eight appearances (and four home runs) in the final month of the season. In those eight appearances in September, Hoover has allowed runs in six of them. The Reds sent nine players to the plate in the bottom of the eighth, scoring four of their runs in the penultimate inning. After Votto made it 12-2, Mets manager Terry Collins brought in right-hander Bobby Parnell, who allowed three straight singles to Brandon Phillips, Ivan De Jesus Jr. and Skip Schumaker before striking out Eugenio Suarez to end the inning. Aroldis Chapman pitched the top of the ninth for the Reds, walking a batter and striking out a batter, appearing for the first time in nearly a week. In the ninth, left fielder Adam Duvall led off the inning with his fourth home run (and 10th total hit) of the season, to make it With the Mets' victory and a Nationals' loss to the Phillies on Friday, the Mets' magic number is down to just one, meaning the next Mets' victory or Nationals' loss will result in a celebration. There will certainly be bottles of champagne chilled and ready to be sprayed in the visitor's clubhouse of Great American Ball Park, and most likely they will be opened before the Mets leave town. Michael Lorenzen will be used for short stints By John Fay / Cincinnati Enquirer / jfay@enquirer.com Rookie right-hander Michael Lorenzen made his first appearance Thursday since returning to the bullpen. He pitched a scoreless inning. Reds manager Bryan Price plans to limit Lorenzen to one inning for the most part. "That doesn't mean he'll only pitch one inning," Price said. "But that's how I'd like to use him. He really is at his I don't want to say pitch limit but he's pitched plenty this year. "The other part is if realistically if anything happens to any of our five starters, he still would be the one that most likely would have to go out there and make one of those starts. So I don't want to be giving him two or three innings. He's really close to his pitch number." Lorenzen has thrown 152 2/3 innings between the Reds and Triple-A Louisville. He threw 120 2/3 last year in his first full year as a starter. A 30- to 35-inning increase is considered the limit with young pitchers. IGLESIAS PLAN: It sounds like rookie right-hander Raisel Iglesias' season may be over. "We're doing all our exit physicals right now," Price said. "The things we're working on with him is some shoulder flexibility. We're not going to rush through that to get him in a game. "We're teetering on a time when he could realistically pitch in one more game or not. By the time we get through this weekend, we'll be able to commit to a yes or no with that." Iglesias has not pitched since his Sept. 13 start. TRAVEL ROSTER: The Reds go to Washington on Monday to play the makeup from the July 8 rainout with the Nationals. Everyone on the roster may not be part of the travel party. "We've talked about leaving some players behind," Price said. "It depends on what the work day entails whether they're required to be with the coaching staff and the team or if they can do the work here.

6 "A lot of DL guys who may have been traveling in the past may not go... It will be a modified travel party." The forecast in Washington calls for a 61 percent chance of rain. "Awesome," Price said. "Exactly what it didn't do when we got rained out last time." After the Nationals called the game on July 8, things cleared up. Bailey back to throwing, 'feels like nothing happened' By John Fay / Cincinnati Enquirer / jfay@enquirer.com To have Homer Bailey back in the rotation from the start of 2016 would be perhaps the biggest realistic boost the Reds could hope for. It may not be a pipe dream. Bailey, coming back from Tommy John surgery he had on May 4, has begun throwing. Friday's session three sets from 75 feet was no soft-toss, take-it-easy outing. Bailey was throwing with considerable zip. "That's what I'm known for I guess," he said. "When you don't feel anything, you can just throw. I'm trying to focus on nice, easy throws to the middle of the chest." Bailey said Friday was his fourth or fifth throwing session. He's pain-free. "It feels like nothing ever happened," Bailey said. Bailey was limited to two starts this year, going 0-1 with a 5.56 ERA. The injury occurred in an April 27 start. Bailey isn't prepared to say he'll be ready for a normal routine at the start of spring training. "I don't know," he said. "I'll be throwing through the end of November. At the end of December, I can start my normal preseason throwing." Bailey is cautious to make any big pronouncements. The key for pitchers recovering from surgery is to avoid setbacks and continually progress. Is he encouraged? "Too early to tell," he said. The Reds have been using an all-rookie rotation since Mike Leake and Johnny Cueto were traded. Friday's loss to the Mets was their 55th consecutive start by a rookie and 101st overall. The rookies were a combined record going into Friday. Having a 200-inning veteran next year like Bailey would do wonders to solidify the rotation. Pete Rose met with Manfred; decision by end of year By James Pilcher / Cincinnati Enquirer Former Reds great Pete Rose met with Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred on Thursday to discuss Rose's application for reinstatement, according to both Major League Baseball and Rose's personal lawyer who spoke with The Enquirer Friday. But apart from confirming that he was at the meeting, Raymond Genco declined all comment, saying "this is too important." It was the first formal meeting between the two since Rose asked Manfred to consider his reinstatement request earlier this year, soon after the new commissioner took over for now retired Bud Selig. According to the MLB statement, Manfred will make a decision by the end of the year. "Commissioner Manfred informed Mr. Rose that he will make a decision on his application by the end of the calendar year. Both parties have agreed to refrain from further comment," said the statement released Friday, the first indication the meeting took place.

7 Manfred and Rose met informally met for the first time for a few minutes here in Cincinnati before the All-Star Game in July, just before Rose was to be introduced as one of the Cincinnati Reds' four greatest living players. Manfred told the Baseball Writers Association of America in July that there was no timetable on a decision about Rose, insisting, "I've said everything I want to say about Pete Rose." MLB officials did not return messages seeking comment Friday. Baseball's all-time hits leader was banned from baseball for life by previous Commissioner Bart Giamatti in the summer of 1989 after investigator John Dowd's report showed that Rose had bet on baseball while managing the Reds. Rose also visited during the summer and reminisced with The Enquirer's Paul Daugherty about the neighborhood where he grew up. Dowd previously told The Enquirer he's met with MLB's John McHale, who handling the Rose's case for Manfred. "He came to me and I told him everything I knew," Dowd said. In June, documents obtained by ESPN's "Outside the Lines" reportedly indicated that Rose bet extensively on baseball and on the Cincinnati Reds as a player/manager in Rose has admitted to betting on baseball and the Reds, but only as a manager. He has always maintained he never bet as a player. But in June, Former Rose associate Tommy Gioiosa reiterated to The Enquirer that he placed bets for Rose when Rose was a playermanager. "If I said no, I'd be lying," Gioiosa said after that report came out. "I've said the same thing to Vanity Fair and to Katie Couric on the 'Today Show.' The answer is yes. And how I'm feeling today? I watch it and feel bad. Pete just never really comes clean and should. He's like a crack addict and a gambling addict. He just needs to come clean. "Now he's out there in Las Vegas, which is like being a drug addict in Amsterdam. And when the feds came to me and wanted me to co-operate, they were never after me. They were after Pete. And I think he still believes that he is bigger than what he was or bigger than the game." This isn't the first time Rose has tried to get into baseball. There were at least two attempts behind the scenes to get former commissioner Selig to reinstate Rose, but those efforts were frustrated by Rose's book releases and appearances in Cooperstown outside of Hall of Fame ceremonies, those connected with those efforts have said previously. "I've always been positive about forgiveness," said Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, who played with Rose for the Philadelphia Phillies for five seasons between in an interview with The Enquirer earlier this year. Schmidt was one of those who tried to get Selig to reinstate Rose in "And his example has been strong enough now for the 26 years now that he's been banned from baseball," Schmidt said. "That's a strong example to anyone who might consider gambling on the sport, whether they be a a player or an administrator." Reds fan finally wins new Toyota Tundra By Shannon Russell / Cincinnati Enquirer Lucky fan Rafael Gonzalez of Florence has won a Toyota Tundra, but not because a Reds player hit the Toyota sign with a 500-foot blast high in the outfield. Gonzalez won by virtue of Jay Bruce's home run Thursday night against the New York Mets at Great American Ball Park. Bruce's reaction, via The Enquirer's John Fay: "Yeah, I heard about it. That's pretty cool." The Reds announced previously that if a player hit a homer into the Sun/Moon Deck seats or Visitors Bullpen during the New York Mets (Sept ) or Chicago Cubs (Sept. 29 & 30) games, one pre-registered fan would win a new Tundra, compliments of the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky Toyota Dealers. Bruce calls his season an embarrassment By Hal McCoy / Dayton Daily News DAYTON DAILY NEWS

8 Jay Bruce hit a home run Thursday night that won a fan a pick-up truck. Asked if he had ever won a fan a truck, he said, No. Not even a car. It was Bruce s fifth home run in seven games and three traveled far enough to qualify for a day in the life of a long distance trucker. All three covered more than 450 feet and the 456-footer he hit in St. Louis was the longest ever hit by a left-handed batter in Busch Stadium III, opened in He has 26 home runs, 33 doubles and 84 RBI. He is one of only 10 players in the majors with at least 26 homers, 33 doubles and 84 RBI. SO GUESS WHAT he said after Thursday s game. I m embarrassed, he said. I am embarrassed with my season. Bruce has many heavy-handed and vociferous critics, mostly because of his.229 batting average and his 135 strikeouts. Nobody, though, is more critical of Jay Bruce than Jay Bruce himself. He probably boos himself in the shower. I am embarrassed, I am. I really am, he said. There are a lot of different ways to be good and driving in runs is good. But I should have 100 RBI, easily, every year. I should hit 30 home runs, hit 40 doubles and I should hit for a respectable average. And I m not doing it. I m a little off the mark with the average, but it is what it is, he added. It is something I really work on and something I take a lot of pride in. WHILE MOST PLAYERS would be happy, even content, with 26 homers, 33 doubles and 84 RBI with 10 games left in the season, Bruce isn t. Not even close because he expects so much more out of himself. I m very realistic with myself, he said. I m not somebody who sugar coats anything personally. I understand that if anybody knows I m not where I should be, it s me. I expected a lot more this year coming off the injury and feeling healthy, feeling great. AND BRUCE REFUSES to pat himself on his broad back for his hustle and his defensive prowess. All that stuff for me is a prerequisite for just going on the field hustling and playing defense. It s like my mom used to tell me, You can be an idiot, but you can shut up in class. It doesn t matter how good or bad you are in baseball, you can hustle and you play hard. I come from the Scott Rolen School of Baseball, he said, referring to the former Reds third baseman known for total all-out play every second he was on the field. He was the best. That s the absolute least I can do is hustle and play hard. I do take a lot of pride in my defense, too, so I can help the team that way, he added. But I m just not where I want to be. I hope people understand and respect that. WITH THE NEW YORK Mets in town, Bruce was asked if he thought about what almost happened, or was rumored to be close to happening. Right down to the trade deadline on July 31, there were reports that Bruce was going to the Mets. At the last moment, the Mets acquired Yoenis Cespedes. I don t think about it and it looks as if the Mets made a good decision, he said. Cespedes has done a great job for them. Cespedes has 35 homers, 22 since the All-Star break. Seventeen of those home runs came after the Mets acquired him from the Detroit Tigers for a couple of trinkets. At the end of the day, it was just talk, just rumors about me going to the Mets, said Bruce. Who knows? I don t know how close it was. It was something that didn t happen and I m still with the Reds and excited that I m still here. And if the truth be known, he has nothing to be embarrassed about. Disappointment? Sure. Embarrassment? Too harsh. Way too harsh. Bruce scores fan new truck with home run By Connor Kiesel FOXSPORTSOHIO.COM While the Reds didn't get the victory Thursday night, one lucky fan had himself a memorable night.

9 Thanks to Jay Bruce's 26th home run of the season in the eighth inning, Rafael Gonzalez, whose name was drawn before the game, earned a new Toyota Tundra truck. For someone to win the grand prize, a player on the Reds had to hit a home run into the designated Target Area located in the Sun Deck/Moon Deck seats or visitors bullpen in right field. The promotion began Thursday and would have run through next Wednesday had a Reds player not jacked one to the specific location. When asked about the truck winner after the game, Bruce said: "That's pretty cool. Hopefully, he can use it." Bruce currently sits at eighth on the Reds' all-time home run list, two behind Ken Griffey Jr. ASSOCIATED PRESS Reds fall to Mets 12-5, get 90th loss for 1st time since '07 By Joe Kay / The Associated Press CINCINNATI The Reds fell behind by a dozen runs and played more than three hours while wrapping up their 90th loss of the season. Yep, the bad numbers keep piling up. Lucas Duda hit a pair of three-run homers on Friday night, and Noah Syndergaard dominated with his 99-mph fastball while pitching into the eighth inning, leading the Mets to a 12-5 victory over Cincinnati that moved New York to the verge of its first playoff spot since The Mets' magic number for clinching the NL East was reduced to one with Washington's 8-2 loss to Philadelphia. By contrast, the Reds have lost 90 games for the first time since 2007, the year before Dusty Baker took over as manager and led Cincinnati to three 90-win seasons and playoff appearances. They're a long way from those days, just trying to finish out the season. They've lost their last six games. "I'm hanging in there," starter Anthony DeSclafani said. "I don't feel great, but it's September. Nobody feels great." Duda was the catalyst as New York stretched its road winning streak to nine games, matching the club record from He had a pair of RBI doubles on Thursday night in a 6-4 win, and hit three-run homers off DeSclafani (9-12) and Tony Cingrani on Friday. His six RBIs were a career high. "The mistakes he made, they put the barrel on," manager Bryan Price said of DeSclafani. "He didn't have a lot of strikeouts. All of our guys, the mistakes they made, they put the barrel on. They fought off some good pitches." Curtis Granderson added a three-run shot in the eighth as the Mets built a 12-0 lead. Syndergaard (9-7) allowed five hits and struck out 11 over innings, the fourth time he's reached double-digit strikeouts. He retired 16 in a row over one stretch. The Mets are all-time at Great American Ball Park, the best winning percentage by any NL team. They've excelled on the road overall, going since July 1. The road has been Syndergaard's weak spot. The rookie came into the game only 1-5 with 4.47 ERA on the road, compared to 7-2 at Citi Field with a 2.57 ERA. He's been much better lately, winning his last two road decisions. Syndergaard also had a pair of hits, including an RBI single in the second inning. Duda's 23rd homer made it 4-0 an inning later and extended the Mets' club-record streak of at least three runs in each of their last 29 road games. ROOKIE NUMBERS DeSclafani became the first Reds rookie to make 30 starts in a season since Johnny Cueto in TRAINER'S ROOM Mets: Juan Uribe pinch hit and left the game after aggravating a chest injury suffered last Sunday. X-rays were negative.

10 Reds: Manager Bryan Price plans to use RHP Michael Lorenzen for one-inning appearances out of the bullpen the rest of the way to limit his pitches. The rookie has made 21 starts and thrown innings. UP NEXT: Mets: RHP Matt Harvey (12-7) can clinch the title for New York. He's 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in three career appearances against the Reds. He won his only start at Great American Ball Park in Reds: LHP John Lamb (1-3) has never faced the Mets. Lamb, acquired from the Royals in the trade for Johnny Cueto, is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA in his last three starts. Manfred meets with Rose on reinstatement application By Ronald Blum / The Associated Press NEW YORK Pete Rose has made his case for reinstatement with Commissioner Rob Manfred, who promised a decision by the end of December. Major League Baseball said the meeting with the career hits leader and his representatives took place Thursday at baseball's headquarters in New York. "Commissioner Manfred informed Mr. Rose that he will make a decision on his application by the end of the calendar year," MLB said in a statement. Then Cincinnati's manager, Rose agreed in 1989 to a lifetime ban from baseball after an investigation for MLB by lawyer John Dowd concluded Rose bet on games involving the Reds while managing and playing. Rose applied for reinstatement in September 1997 and met with Commissioner Bud Selig in November 2002, but Selig never ruled on Rose's application. Manfred succeeded Selig in January, and Rose again applied to end the ban. Ray Genco, Rose's lawyer, declined comment. Dowd is confident Manfred will turn down the application. "I'm glad he met with him. I'm glad he heard him out," Dowd said. "I think Rob's a fair commissioner, and I have no doubt that he'll do the right thing by the game. I'm not concerned." Now 74, Rose repeatedly denied betting on baseball until in his 2004 autobiography, "Pete Rose: My Prison Without Bars," he reversed his stand and acknowledged he bet on the Reds while managing the team. At the time the ban agreement was announced, then-commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti said, "The burden is entirely on Mr. Rose to reconfigure his life in a way he deems appropriate." The Hall of Fame's board of directors voted in 1991 to ban those on the permanently ineligible list from the Baseball Writers' Association of America ballot. Since Rose's last year of BBWAA ballot eligibility would have been 2006, the impact of reinstatement on his Hall chances is not clear. TRANSACTIONS Date Transaction 09/25/15 Los Angeles Dodgers released RHP Mat Latos. Minnesota Twins placed LHP Logan Darnell on the 60-day disabled list. Pneumonia Minnesota Twins activated RHP Ricky Nolasco from the 60-day disabled list. Los Angeles Angels activated 2B Johnny Giavotella from the 15-day disabled list.